The event, set to be held at TPC Twin Cities golf club in Blaine, will elevate the state’s golf tournament bonafides and benefit charities through the 3M Open Fund sponsorship

Minnesota has locked in a seven-year deal to bring an official PGA Tour event to the Twin Cities. Sponsored by 3M through its nonprofit 3M Open Fund, the deal will see the world’s top golfers compete routinely at TPC Twin Cities, a private golf club in Blaine.

The 2019 dates for the new event, called the 3M Open and operating as part of the FedExCup Season, will be announced in July with the PGA Tour 2018-19 schedule.

“3M is honored to welcome the top players on the PGA Tour to the Twin Cities, and we look forward to the many opportunities this tournament will bring to support our community,” said Paul Keel, 3M senior vice president of business development and marketing-sales, in a statement.

The 3M Open debut will be the first official PGA Tour event in Minnesota since the 2009 PGA Championship that was held at Chaska’s Hazeltine National Golf Club, and narrowly won by Y.E. Yang over Tiger Woods.

It also comes on the heels of the last-ever 3M Championship, the PGA Tour Champions event that has been held at TCP Twin Cities since 1993. The last edition of this tournament, which involves golfers ages 50 and up, is set for August 3-5, and will feature Paul Goydos defending his 2017 title.

“We’ve formed a great relationship with PGA Tour Champions over the last 25 years and are excited to build on that partnership with the 3M Open,” said Keel.

Beyond serving as a PGA Tour Champions successor – or advancement in terms of Minnesota’s level of involvement with the PGA – the fortuitous timing of the 3M Open is also marked by other recent sports activities in the Twin Cities.

“We are delighted to partner with 3M for this new PGA Tour event in the Twin Cities, a community that has shown tremendous support for professional golf over the years… and deservedly played host to the biggest events in sports,” said Monahan.

Monahan added that the 3M Open will continue 3M’s dedication to charity, as the 3M Open Fund plans to donate all the proceeds from the tournament to local organizations, building on the more than $26 million raised collaboratively by 3M and its longtime PGA Tour Champions partner Pro Links Sports. That fruitful partnership will continue, with Pro Links Sports assuming management of the 3M Open.

“We’ve been able to donate millions of dollars to charity and we expect to do even more with the 3M Open,” said Pro Links Sports executive director Hollis Cavner. “This is a true win for Minnesota.”

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